Variety (April 1953)

OMCMKSTKAS-MUSIC pj&tWff Wednesday, April 1 1953 Jocks, Jukes and Disks By MIKE GROSS Joni James: Vis It Any Wonder”- " Almost Always" (M-G-M). This is a hit bracket coupling. Thrush is in top piping form oq "Wonder," a mellow ballad that projects a ro- mantic mood. "Always" has a catchy Latino beat and & lively lyric to match. Ames Bros: "Candy Bar Boogie”- "At the End of the Rainbow” (Coral). Ames Bros, buoyant deliv- ery of "Candy Bar Boogie" a bright rhythm novelty should make plenty of noise in the mar- 'ket. Combo slows up on the re- verse for an okay workover of a fair ballad- „ Richard Hayman Orch: "Ruby”- "Love Mood" (Mercury). Theme music by Hein* Eoemheld from the 20 th-Fox pic, "Ruby Gentry," is beaded for a big payoff via a flock of topnofcch disk versions. Richard. Hayman’s cut has taken an early lead and should lead the pack. His is a lush instrumental treatment. Also clicko are Les Brown’s orch workover on Coral and Lew Doug- las’ orch rendition for M-G-M. The Douglas disk, incidentally, uses the Jack Halloran choir to pipe the switches to a plaintive ballad on .he flip and gives it a tender work- over. De Marco Sisters: "Bouillibase”- "Pretty Baby" (M-G-M). "Boulli- base," a jive-grooved novelty gets a jaunty workover via the slick De Marcos’ voice blendings. Packs punch for the juke trade. Work- over of the oldie on the flip doesn’t come off too well. Sammy Kaye Orch: "I Couldn’t Keep From CryingV'Sweet Sue" (Columbia). "Crying" is an alfalfa- grooved entry and Sammy Kaye plays cornball with it for good ef- fect. The lyric is delivered with proper feeling by .the Kaydets. Orch’s job on "Sweet Sue," on the bottom side, strays from Kaye’s usual arrangement pattern with its hep beat and , overall energetic quality. Irving Fields Trio: "Mr: Piano Player”-"Cuban Carnival" (King). Irving Fields has a standout preem slice for the King label in "Mr. Piano Player." Bright melodic line and catchy lyric are expertly projected via th# Fields’ honky- tonking. Trio catches the south- Best Bets JONI JAMES . IS IT ANY WONDER (M-G-M) Almost Always ames bros! candy bar boogie (Corat) , At the End of the Rainbow RICHARD HAYMAN ORCH • ( Mercury ) ; Love Mood Mitchell Parish lyric fqr top im- pact. Haym&n’s slice of "Love Mood" is okay platter fare. Bob Carroll: "A Little Love"- "Where Did You Go" (Derby). "Love" is a likely successor to Bob ' Carroll’s clicko "Say It With YoiflT Heart.” It’s packed with a rhymthic beat that should keep the slice moving on all levels. Flip is a slow ballad entry given topnotch shellac production values. Don Cherry: "If They Should Ask Me’’-"All By. Myself" (Decca). "Ask Me" has slim chances in cur- rent wax competition despite Don Cherry’s"' understanding interpreta- tion. JTune is a moody ballad with too many dull sppts to keep it mov- ing. Cherry changes pace on the bottom deck for a brisk workover of the Irving Berlin oldie. Margaret Whiting-Jimmy Wake- ly: "Gomen-Nasai"-"I Learned to Love You Too Late" (Capitol). This is a late starter on "Gomen- Nasai" and it’s doubtful if it has the power to catch up in the race to the pay- off wire. The Margaret Whiting- Jimmy Wakely tandem gives it an okay oriental flavor. . Pair goes hillbilly on the bottom deck for better results. It’s a cornball’s wail of unrequited love grooved the surefire alfalfa way. Doris Day: "When the Red, Red, "Robin - Comes Bob,”Bob, Bobbin’ Alohg’’-"Beautiful Music to Love By" (Columbia). Doris Day’s rous- ing rendition of "Red, Red, Robin" should keep this slice jumping on all levels and arouse plenty of in- terest in the standout oldie. She of-the-border flavor for a neat ren- dition of "Cuban Carnival." Tommy Edwards: "Au Revoir’’- "I Lived When I Met You" (M-G-M). The wistful mood of "Au Revoir" is an excellent frame for Tommy Edwards smooth and relaxed vocal style. It’s a good spinning bet with breakaway po- tential. Edwards dittoes on the reverse, another topdrawer bal- lad. Mace Barrett: "I Don’t Have to Close My. Eyes’’-"It’s the Strang- est Feeling” (Coral). Coral's new crooner* Mace Barrett makes an impressive debut with "Close My Eyes." He’s of the big-voiced genre and belts it out with lots of impact. Tune's a lilting ballad piece, a perfect match to Barrett’s piping attack. Shows up well on the flipside ballad. Mel Blanc: "Little Red Monkey’’- "Tia Juana" (Capitol). "Monkey," which is breaking as a potent in- strumental, gets a novelty lyric workover via this Mel Blanc cut. Okay for the jukes. The Harmoni- cats give it a bright instrumental rendition on the Mercury label. Blanc has a flock of comedic touches in the Latino novelty, "Tia Juana*’’ Billy May orch supports. Don Cornell: "Many Are the Times" - "There’s No Escape” (Coral). ‘Times’’ is a charming "ballad offering that - Don Cornell builds to socko impact via his high- powered piping. "Escape" is a grandiose-styled ballad but with doubtful chances. Bernice Parks: ."Your Game of Let’s Pretend”-"Two Kinds of LAWRENCE WELK and hi* * CHAMPAGNE MUSJC 84th Consecutive Week, Aragon Ballroom, Santa Monica, Calif. Exclusively for Coral Records “OH HAPPY DAY" backed by “Your Mother and Mine” Love” (Mercury). Pair of expert- ly tailored ballad entries give Ber- nice Parks a fast start as a Mer- cury label pactee. Her vibrant wax projection makes each tune a class slice. It’s a tossup as to which will nab top spins. Ann Hathaway: "Supper Time’’- "It Goes Like This” (Avalon). Ann Hathaway registers as clicko canary on her Avalon label debut with two standout oldies. She projects as a top purveyor of mood ballads with' “Supper Time’ and as a brisk rhythm stylist with "It Goes Like This.” Bette McLaurin: "In the Middle of Kiss”-"Can't You See” (Coral). Bette McLaurin shap’es up as a potent wax force with this cou- pling. "Kiss,", a' big and senti- mental ballad, gets the kind of pash workover that wins spins. Same goes for the bottom slice. Album Review! "Naze! Flagg” (Victor). The Jule Styne-Bob Hilliard score for the Broadway legituner has, with few exceptions, little to offer in the way of standout tune material. At times it’s brash and gay but for the most part, the overall impress- es as an unimaginative job. The original cast album includes Helen Gallagher, Benay Venuta, John Howard and Jack Whiting. Stand- out, of course, is "How Do You Speak to an Angel," which How- ard delivers in the romantic style of legit crooners. Next best is Whiting’s charming rendition of "Every Streets a Boulevard in Old New York." The rest is routine. "Call Me Madam" (Decca), (Continued on page 73) - * - - - - Longhair Maestro Exchange Dallas, March 31. Walter Hendl, conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, leaves for New York tomorrow (Wed.) en- route to Swedeirwhere he ivill con- duct the Goteborg Symphony Or- chestra. Sixten Eckerberg, the Goteborg conductor, will be guest conductor of the Dallas Symphony next 1 January. P&riety 10 Best Sellers on Coin-Madiines •H +444^ DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW (8) TILL I WALTZ AGAIN WITH YOU (13) TELL ME YOU’RE MINE (11) . . . PRETEND (5) .. DON’T LET THE STARS GfiT IN YOUR EYES (15) HAVE YOU HEARD (11) SIDE BY SIDE (9) YOUR CHEATIN' HEART (4) TELL ME A STORY (21. KEEP IT A SECRET (12) Second Group CARAVAN WHY DON’T YOU BELIEYE^ME HOT TODDY f... . SLEEP I BELIEVE ANYWHERE I WANDER NO HELP WANTED YOUR CHEATIN’ HEART MY JEALOUS EYES SAY IT WITH YOUR HEART .. . WHY DON’T YOU BELIEF E . A FOOL SUCH AS I SEVEN LONELY DAYS TWICE AS MUCH R.alph Marterie Mercury J o'.:i James M -G-M Ralph Flanagan Victor L”s Paul Capitol ^ 4 4 4 Hrt-ft , , , #vv,t«t4*r tMttrxn , Elgar: Enigma Variations and Brahms: Haydn Variations (RCA Victor, $5.45). Elgar’s charming, piquant variations are cleanly, vig- orously and not too 'sentimentally played by Arturo Toscanini and his NBC Symphony. Reverse has a spa- cious, colorful performance of Brahms’ Haydn variations by Toscy. A colorful coupling. Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3 (London, $5.95), "Scotch" Sym- phony, full of the color and mood of moors and highlands, has a glowing,, romantic reading by the London Symphony under Georg Solti. Rimsky-Korsakov: Snow Maiden and Skazka (M-G-M, $4.85). Con- tinuing Its praiseworthy policy of releasing lesser-heard or offbeat works, M-G-M comes up with two fine bits in these Rimsky-Korsakov suites. Pleasant, light old-Russian music. Nielsen: Symphony No. 6 (Mer- cury, $5.95). Nielsen’s "Sinfonia Semplice," a fine Scandinavian work, alternately witty and brood- ing, gets an excellent performance by the Danish National Orchestra , 1 under Thomas Jensen, a Nielsen protege. Beethoven: Concerto No. 3 (Blue, bird, $3.10). Fine RCA reprint of a charming work by pianist Benno Moiseiwitsch, assisted by the Phil, harmonia Orchestra under Malcolm Sargent. Playing is warm, sensitive maybe a little too sedate. Excellent value. f* Strauss: Ein Heldehleben (Mer- cury, $5.95). Lush performance of the tonepoem, rich in symphonic colors, by the Minneapolis Sym- phony under .Antal Dorati. Rafael Druiah is an excellent violin soloist. Beethoven: Appassionata and Liszt: Concerto No. 1 (RCA Victor $5.95). Fine playing by Danish pianist Victor Schioler in the Bee- thoven sonata, and in the Liszt war- horse, assisted in the latter by the Danish National Orchestra under Issay Dobrowen. The Liszt gets a dashing performance, full of tech- nical brilliance. Bf'on. Eddie Maxwell collaborated with Ben Oakland in writing the mate- rial for Guy Cherney’s act at Top’s, San Diego. Songs With Largest Radio Audience •The top 30 songs of week (more in case of ties), based on copyrighted Audience Coverage Index & Audience Trend Index. Published by Office of Research, Inc., T>r. John Gray Peatman, Director, Alphabetically listed. Survey Week of March 20-27,*1953 1 A Fool Such As I Robbins-M April In Portugal Chappell Blue Porcelain * '•. Veronique Bye Bye Blues Bourne Doggie In The Window Santly-J Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes Four-Star Downhearted Paxton Even Now . Pickwick Golden Years—f"Houdini" Paramount Gomen Nasai Disney Hello Sunshine Erwin-H High Noon—t"High Noon" Feist Hot Toddy . Coachella How Do You Speak To An Angel—*"Hazel Flagg”.. Chappell Hush-A-Bye—t"The Jazz Singer" Remick I Believe Cromwell I Confess Witmark I’ll Be Hangin’ Around Broadcast .Kaw-Liga , Milene Moving Away Bristol My Jealous Eyes Famous No Help Wanted * Acuff-R Ohio—^"Wonderful Town" .. Chappell Open Up Your Heart Longridge Peter Cottontail Hill-R Pretend » Brandom Say It With Your Heart.'. : Feist Side By Side Shapiro-B Song From Moulin Rouge—1 "Moulin Rouge"...... Broadcast Tell Me You’re Mine . Capri Till I Waltz Again With You Village / _ Secoqd Group Anywhere I Wander—I "Hans Christian Andersen" Frank Blue Gardenia—i"Blue Gardenia" . Harms Can’t I Harvard Caravan”;7 ;77 r. vr. ~t. y... . ; 7 .... . American - Don’t Let Your Eyes Go Shopping For Your HeartPorgie Ecstasy Tango Jefferson Have You Heard Brandom Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me Mills I’m Sitting On Top Of The World Feist Jambalaya .'. .' Acuff-R Jumpin’ Bean ... O’Flynn Keep It A Secret Shapiro-B Lady Of Soain Fox Nearness Of You .._ ...' Famous Oh Happy Day BVC Pour Me A Glass Of Teardrops Advanced Say It Isn’t So' Berlin . Say Si Si .■. Marks Seven Lonely Days Jefferson Twice As Much Porgie Why Don't You Believe Me Brandom Yonr Cheatin’ Heart Acuff-R * • * • 'MU-4444 4 4 4*4 »»44444+44 Top 10 Songs On TV (More in Case of Ties) Doggie In The Window Santly-J Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes Four-Star Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me Mills How Do You Speak To An Angel Chappell Kaw-Liga Milene Keep It A Secret Shapiro-B "Pretend Brandom • Side By' Side Shapiro-B Till I Waltz Agin With You Village Where Did You Learn To Dance Feist Five-TopStandards ^ (More In Case of Ties) Alexander’s Ragtime Band Berlin I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now Marks Put Your Arms Around Me Honey Broadway ’SWonderful ^. Harms There’s No Business Like Show Business Berlin t Eilmusical. * Legit musical. ■1 ■- ■« fl if ifl <i it fi